Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala is one of the most popular recipes among Indian Vegetarians. It is rich, creamy restaurant style mildly spiced paneer curry cooked in tomato cashew nut gravy. This absolute favourite paneer curry also known as butter paneer by many, pairs well with Cumin Rice, Garlic Naan & Cucumber Raita. {Step by Step method included along with a detailed FAQ’s answered}
Pick up the menu card in any Indian restaurant and the first dish that we tend to order is Paneer Butter Masala. This Butter Paneer Curry is so tempting with its mild sweetness, spiciness and creaminess that we are bound to fall for it, every single time.
Recently I had the opportunity to create an Indian Thali for ASDA Diwali Party Supper club and we did feature this Paneer Butter Masala as one of the curries. All the 20+ guests gave me commendable comments and also mentione this is the BEST Paneer Butter Masala ever.
One other reason the guests loved it is because I make my curry with Fresh Vine Tomatoes and not Canned Tomatoes. They could easily make a difference and did mention how much they loved this curry. I really cannot ask for any more!
Good news is that we can replicate this easy restaurant style paneer butter masala, right at the comfort of your home in 30 Minutes. This restaurant style Paneer curry takes no time, as long as you have got all the ingredients sourced. Everyone has their own unique style of making this curry and there are at least a 50 versions! If you are quite familiar with PBM, then skip straight to the recipe content.
Paneer Butter Masala is also known by many other names – Butter Paneer, Paneer Makhani, Butter Paneer Masala, paneer masala, vegetarian paneer butter chicken …
So,
What Is Paneer Butter Masala?
Paneer Butter Masala is a rich, creamy, Indian curry made with Paneer ( Indian Cottage Cheese ) Soft Paneer Cubes are cooked in a creamy curry made with tomatoes, butter, cream and cashews. It is mildly sweet & spicy flavour and pairs well with garlic naan & cumin rice.
What if I tell you, this Paneer Butter Masala recipe is versatile. You can replace Tofu or Chicken for Paneer and make it as Chicken Butter Masala or Tofu Masala too.
Let me also tell you, by no ways, Paneer Butter Masala is a healthy curry – Its Indulgent and full on flavours. But one good thing, is that if ever you are looking for indulgent ghar ka khana recipe, this is the one.
BTW – This list for 9 EVERYDAY INDIAN MEALS IS AWESOME. Don’t forget to checkout the extensive Meal Plan ideas.
THIS PANEER BUTTER MASALA
- is a restaurant style Paneer curry
- can be easily customised to a Vegan Paneer Butter Masala curry. Read the post in detail on substitutions.
- makes a delicious curry for occasions and family gatherings.
- can be made in advance and freezes really well.
- takes about 30 minutes from scratch!
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Paneer Butter Masala & Paneer Makhani
Le me clear this confusion – paneer butter masala and paneer makhani are two different curries. Though both of them are tomato based gravy with lots of cream and butter, proportion and texture varies. Butter paneer gravy is made by sautéing tomatoes, whole spices cashew nuts and then pureed. However the later curry does not use cashew nut in the recipe. All said and done, Paneer Curries are absolutely lip smacking and sometimes who cares if you call it butter paneer or paneer makhani for a little variation.
We make this Easy Paneer Butter Masala Restaurant Style at least once a week and it’s an absolute favourite among kids too.
PANEER BUTTER MASALA ingredients
This delicious Butter Paneer Masala curry has some of the simplest ingredients, yet the flavours are just out of the world. What if I tell you, Tomato, Ginger & Garlic forms the base of this paneer curry and a major chunk of the flavours comes from them. There are very little additional spices & whole spices along with them.
Creaminess in this Butter masala comes from Butter, Cashews & Cream.
Hey, by now you would have noticed, this easy paneer butter masala does not have onions too.
Tomatoes – Use Ripe Vine Tomatoes for this curry as they lend the gorgeous color too. You may also use Canned Tomatoes, but remember the gravy can be a bit too tangy and you will have to adjust the flavors accordingly.
Ginger & Garlic – are absolutely essential to bring out the best flavours.
Whole Spices – Bay Leaf & Cinnamon
Spice Powders – Chilli Powder, Cardamom Powder, Coriander Powder & Garam Masala
Cream – Homemade or store bought single / double cream works
Cashewnuts
Butter
Paneer – Homemade paneer tastes best. But, you may also use store bought paneer like I have used. Remember to soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes and see for yourself how soft they are.
Before we actually proceed to the recipe, let me share with you some of the best practices to make the best restaurant style paneer butter masala.
Tips to make the BEST PANEER BUTTER MASALA
Use Red Vine Tomatoes to make the makhani gravy. If Vine Tomatoes are not available, you can use Salad Tomatoes or even Canned Tomatoes. But you must remember Canned Tomatoes can be tangy and you need add a little more sugar to cut the tanginess.
Nuts – Cashew nuts renders a beautiful creaminess and body this tomato gravy. You may choose to use Melon Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Almonds as an alternative. Using alternative nuts can slightly vary the flavour too.
Color – To obtain rich orange red hue colour for this gravy, use ripe red tomatoes. Some people do prefer to add food colour or paprika too to enhance the colour of the gravy.
Cream & Butter – As the name suggests, Paneer Butter Masala uses butter ( off course ! ) & cream generously. Don’t be too skinny in adding them as both the ingredients are essential in imparting the creaminess and rich body to the gravy.
Paneer – DO NOT Cook Paneer for too long after adding it in the gravy. It can turn rubbery and chewy by doing so.
Process Smooth – Remember to blend the tomato, cashew, ginger, garlic and chillies to a smooth paste. This has a great impact on the texture of the curry.
How to make Paneer Butter Masala Step by Step
Preparation of Butter Masala Gravy
- In a deep pan, heat 2 tbsp of butter and oil. Add red chillies, ginger, garlic and saute for a minute.
- Tip in cashew and saute for another one minute.
3.Add the tomatoes, stir.
4.Cover and cook the tomatoes until they are soft. This takes about 5-6 minutes.
5.Turn off the flame and allow the tomato cashew nut mixture to cool down.
6.Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend to a smooth tomato puree.
Making of Paneer Butter Masala
- In the same pan, heat the remaining butter and add bayleaf and cinnamon stick. Saute for 30 seconds.
2& 3. Add the blended tomato puree, chilli powder, cardamom powder, coriander powder, salt & sugar and allow this mixture to cook for 5- 6 minutes or until they slowly leave the side of the pan.
5. Continue to stir when the gravy leaves the side of the pan.
6.Add 1 Cup of water to the gravy.
7., Stir well and allow it to boil for 2 minutes.
8.Add the paneer, garam masala, cream, kasuri methi to the gravy and mix well.
9.Cook for another one minute and switch-off the flame.
10. Garnish with cream, coriander leaves. Serve hot Paneer Butter Masala curry with Naan Bread, Cumin Rice and Cucumber Raita for a complete meal
As a full on Paneer Lover, we love to get our Indian Curry right, and have so many questions revolving around our favourite butter paneer masala recipe. Here’s everything answered for you. Just incase you don’t find the answer, simply ask me in comments and I’ll try my level best to answer.
PANEER BUTTER MASALA FAQ
How to make Vegan Paneer Butter Masala?
Vegan Butter Paneer Masala is a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, creaminess and deliciousness with no compromise on indulgent flavours.
Its absolutely easy to make Vegan Butter Paneer Masala with just a few substitutions.
Simply replace Paneer with Tofu or Vegetables like Mushroom.
Use Coconut Cream/ Cashew Cream for regular cream.
Use Coconut Oil or Vegan Butter for Butter in the recipe.
How To Make No Onion No Garlic Paneer Butter Masala?
Jain Paneer Butter Masala can be easily made by leaving out garlic from this curry recipe, as this restaurant style butter paneer masala does not use any onion.
Alternate Cheese To Make Paneer Butter Masala?
Halloumi Cheese works great as an alternative cheese. If you do not enjoy paneer or tofu, then do swap for halloumi in the recipe.
If you don’t have cashews or have an allergy for cashews,
Use almonds. In this case soak the almonds in hot water. Peel them and blend it with water.
Can I make Instant Pot Paneer Butter Masala?
Add all the ingredients leaving the cream and paneer in the IP and pressure cook. When the steam releases naturally, process the gravy smooth. Add Cream, Kasuri methi, Paneer, stir and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve paneer butter masala with naan bread, paratha or even roti’s. It pairs well with cumin rice as well as steamed rice.
How about if I tempt you with quick and easy Paneer Recipes.
More Paneer Recipes for you
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HAVE YOU MAKE THIS PANEER BUTTER MASALA?
Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #sandhyaskitchen. I would love to see your take on this RESTAURANT STYLE PANEER BUTTER MASALA CURRY! Trust me, it is lip-smacking.
RESTAURANT STYLE PANEER BUTTER MASALA RECIPE BELOW
Learn to make the BEST Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala at home. Serve with Cumin Rice & Naan Bread to complete the meal. 100% approved by friends and family!
- 250 g Paneer ( Indian Cottage Cheese )
- 5 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 2 dried Kashmiri Red Chilli
- 1 " Ginger
- 4 Large Cloves Garlic
- 18-20 Cashew nuts
- 4 Large Vine Tomatoes Approx 550g
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 1 " Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 2 Tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Cardamom Powder
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala
- 3 Tbsp Cream
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Sugar
- 3 Tsp Coriander Leaves
- 1 Tsp Cream
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Cube the Paneer and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.
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In a deep pan, heat 2 tbsp of butter and oil.
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Add red chillies, ginger, garlic and saute for a minute.
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Add cashew nuts and saute for another one minute.
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Add the tomatoes, stir. Cover and cook the tomatoes until they are soft. This takes about 5-6 minutes.
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Turn off the flame and allow the tomato cashewnut mixture to cool down.
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Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend to a smooth tomato puree.
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In the same pan, heat the remaining butter and add bayleaf and cinnamon stick. Saute for 30 seconds.
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Add the blended tomato puree, chilli powder, cardamom powder, coriander powder, salt & sugar and allow this mixture to cook and slowly leave the side of the pan.
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Add 1 Cup of water, stir well and allow it to boil for 2 minutes.
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Add the paneer, garam masala, cream, kasuri methi to the gravy and mix well. Cook for another one minute and switch off the flame.
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Garnish with cream and coriander leaves.
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Serve hot Paneer Butter Masala curry with Naan Bread, Cumin Rice and Cucumber Raita for a complete meal.
What brand masala you use it and what kind?
I do make Garam Masala at home or use Everest/ MDH brand Garam Masala.